Catholic bishops call out Notre Dame for appointment of pro-abortion professor

Notre Dame is now under fire from Catholic bishops for appointing a pro-abortion activist to director of the university's Asian Studies Institute.

Key Takeaways:

• Notre Dame has faced backlash, including the resignation of staff members, over the appointment of a pro-abortion professor to the position of director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.

• Susan Ostermann has openly advocated for abortion and has compared pro-life efforts to violence against women.

• Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Notre Dame's diocese, said Ostermann's appointment is "causing scandal to the faithful in our diocese."

• Bishop Rhoades received support from Bishop Robert Barron and Archbishop Samuel Aquila.

The Backstory:

In January, the University of Notre Dame received backlash for the promotion of pro-abortion activist Susan Ostermann to the position of director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. As previously reported by Live Action News, Ostermann has written numerous pro-abortion essays, including claims that "forced birth" is violence against women. She also wrote that pro-life efforts to outlaw abortion are linked to white supremacy, and has worked with the Population Council, the eugenic organization that brought the abortion pill to the United States.

After the announcement of Ostermann's promotion, a law professor and a professor emeritus both resigned in protest.

The Details:

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Notre Dame's diocese, has now spoken out against Ostermann's appointment, saying it is "causing scandal to the faithful in our diocese." In a statement, he wrote in part:

Having now read many of the op-ed pieces co-authored by Professor Ostermann, I must express my dismay and my strong opposition to this appointment that is causing scandal to the faithful of our diocese and beyond. Professor Ostermann’s extensive public advocacy of abortion rights and her disparaging and inflammatory remarks about those who uphold the dignity of human life from the moment of conception to natural death go against a core principle of justice that is central to Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and mission.

...She wrote that the pro-life position has “its roots in white supremacy and racism,” and has misogyny “embedded” in the movement. She has attacked pregnancy resource centers as deceptive “anti-abortion propaganda sites” that harm women. She also argued that the Catholic social doctrine of “integral human development” supports abortion because it enhances freedom and flourishing for women. These are all outrageous claims that should disqualify her from an administrative and leadership role at a Catholic university. I hope that Professor Ostermann will explicitly retract these claims, and I pray that she will have a change of mind and heart that will lead her to affirm the innate dignity of unborn babies as well as that of their mothers.

Other Catholic bishops have given their support to Bishop Rhoades. Winona-Rochester, Minnesota Bishop Robert Barron, best known as the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, wrote on X, "I want to express my strong support for the statement that Bishop Kevin Rhoades made... concerning a controversial appointment at the University of Notre Dame. Please read his communication in full, for he makes the case more completely and eloquently than I could."

Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila backed up Bishop Rhoades as well, writing on X, "Thank you Bishop Rhoades for your statement on the most unfortunate appointment by Notre Dame that truly tarnishes Our Lady's University & what it means to be Catholic. I pray that those who can rescind this terrible appointment will do so!"

The Bottom Line:

This isn't the first time Notre Dame has come under fire from Catholics in recent years. In 2022, it received criticism for refusing to sponsor a pro-life event while supporting a pro-abortion event that same night. Also in 2022, the Irish Rover, a student-run campus newspaper, exposed that Professor Tamara Kay, who penned the pro-abortion op-eds with Ostermann, had been helping students undergo illegal abortions. Kay then sued the student paper for defamation; her case was dismissed.

For a brief time that year, abortion was not permitted within the state, and Kay responded by posting a sign letting students know she would help them obtain illegal abortions. “This is a SAFE SPACE to get help and information on ALL Healthcare issues and access — confidentially with care and compassion,” a note posted on her door read, with her non-Notre Dame e-mail address attached. She also posted the letter "J," to indicate her willingness to help students get abortions.

In 2025, the university removed its requirement that staff accept and support the Catholic mission, which set the stage for Ostermann's promotion.